Oral Language and Reconnecting

 

The Strengthening Of Oral Language programme ties in well with the reconnecting with students as they return to school and re engage into school life.  While focusing on their well being, there is no better way of helping a child than having meaningful discussions with them.  The previous few weeks have been ones of disruption to plans and having to "roll with it", but is has also been time when we as teachers have had the luxury of time to look at our teaching practises and make adaptions.

Having a visit by a Speech Language Therapist to demonstrate using the "strive for 5" techniques with both a small group and a larger class group was invaluable.  Analysing the videos of these sessions helped us to see the techniques she used to engage the children and connect at their level.  She -

* repeated or reaffirmed what a child had said (showing a child that their comments were valued)

* made relevant comments on what a child had said

* asked meaningful questions about something the child had said and

* purposefully gifted words 

Learning not only how to use "strive for 5" techniques but also how to analysis, then reflect on your teaching is a powerful tool to use to make changes.

I have thought about when oral language would best fit in with our daily activities and decided that the opportunities that present themselves in play based activities before school would be a good time for "child talk".  I also plan to read to a small group each day to see if this works better than during guided reading time.  Reading to a large class group is often dominated by one or two more orally able children so I will try to read to smaller groups to see if this helps the quiet, shy children.  One of my priorities will be to "observe, wait and listen" and be mindful of the SSCAN technique.

Communication and Connectiveness

 

mask, n.   Covering... for concealing the face...for protection... disguise...

The Concise Oxford Dictionary p748

Unless we were in the medical profession, theatre or certain professions that used safety equipment, masks were not part of our everyday lives.  The arrival of COVID has changed the way we do many things including having to protect ourselves and others through the wearing of a mask.  We have all had to adapt to new ways of doing things.

The first thing one notices when wearing a mask is that they are a barrier.  They are meant to be a barrier between you and others to prevent the spread of disease but one quickly realises they are a barrier for communication in many ways.  They hinder communication  - muffling sounds, you struggle to "read" peoples faces and you feel isolated or hidden behind a mask.  

Making yourself aware of of these "hinderances" means you are able to think of simple solutions to overcome them, communicate effectively and stay connected with your class.  

If you have an accent it is often harder to understand every word.  We rely on visual clues to fill in the gaps.  But if we have noise, a mask and no visual clues it can lead to difficulty in understanding.  Think about background noises in the classroom when you give clear, concise instructions.   

People who are hard of hearing find masks filter out certain sounds especially "ss" and "th" which helps distinguish one word from another.  The higher pitch sounds which are most visible on the lips are often the sounds hearing impaired people have difficulty with. It is also difficult trying to teach young children alphabet sounds with a mask covering the lips.  Face the person and talk as clearly as you can  - common sense things one does without a mask but so much more important with a mask.

Talking with students is even more important to make sure they do not feel isolated or hidden, making sure they understand instructions and have fun learning and doing activities .  Show the children that things have changed but each one of them has something to contribute to the class and that a mask is not a barrier to learning and communicating.

What will I do different when we no longer have to wear masks?  One has become more aware of thinking before giving instructions - it it too noisy, have I got the children's undivided attention, are they looking at me if I use gestures, am I speaking clearly, am I communicating effectively?  It has made us better communicators but we do "talk" and communicate with our faces a great deal.  I am so looking forward to showing a smile with my whole face to my pupils again, feeling the connectivity and not just showing a smile with my eyes.

Communication and connectivity are so much a part of humanity it will be great not to have a barrier hindering this.